Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist - CITRMS®
XV

Applicants are encouraged to review the ICFE's CITRMS®XVCode of Ethics for ICFE
Certificants

Introduction

Over 150 million credit and identity theft victims
and counting...The staggering monetary losses are mounting. More small
business owners are now discovering, and for many the hard way, what the
new laws say they now must do to protect a customer's personal information.
Guarding against credit and identity theft is more important now, than ever
before. In part, because the number of victims continues to multiply in
huge numbers every month, however the law enforcement and resolution advocacy
services don't. And also, partly because there are so few professionals
trained and qualified to help the public and small businesses who need to
access and manage their credit and identity theft risk to avoid financial
ruin and the nightmares of attempted resolution should one become a victim.

The ICFE developed the "ICFE Certified Identity Theft Risk Management
Specialist" - CITRMS® educational and certification testing program
in 2006 and the course has been completely replaced and expanded with the
CITRMS® ISG XV. The main purpose is to comprehensively prepare and equip
law enforcement professionals, financial planners and CPA's, resolution
advocates, notaries, lawyers, credit and debt counselors, through education,
testing and computer software training, with the knowledge and skills necessary
to help consumers and businesses fully assess and minimize their present
risk of credit and identity theft.

These professionals - who are
now the front line of defense in the fight against credit and identity theft
for their clients and constituents - will also have a heightened sense of
awareness about this so-called silent crime and will be tuned in to always
guarding against it in addition to always talking about it with their clients
and constituents to keep their awareness high.

CITRMS&REG; XV covers nine major areas of study

Now more than ever in the past, the time has come
for a more professional, comprehensively trained and well educated approach
the ICFE Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist program contains.
It will equip CITRMS® XV enrollees with a working knowledge and understanding
of the individual uniqueness of these crimes. There are NINE areas of
study and testing covered in the CITRMS® ISG XV:

CITRMS® XV will also
result in professionals having gained the knowledge and techniques necessary
to improve their own chances of not becoming a victim and also help others
too.

Here are some reasons why professionals enroll in
this new ICFE CITRMS® XV Certification Program:

Becoming certified by the ICFE will make a difference
to your clients, your company, your community, and yourself. It is the
manifestation of your commitment to high standards of professionalism
aimed at your employer, your colleagues, your clients and the general
public.

Promotes your professional value

Demonstrate your professional qualifications
and earn respect from clients and peers

Being among the first to earn this important
Certification in your community is newsworthy

Know which agencies to contact in the event
of identity theft, and how to contact them

Know the steps consumers can take to minimize
the risk of identity theft, and what to do if a consumer learns his/her
information has been compromised in an identity theft incident

Identify methods of access to credit reports
and credit scores, free and otherwise

Know the types of identity theft that usually
do NOT show up in credit reports

Be familiar with the main requirements for businesses
to protect sensitive customer information, to comply with applicable
laws and regulations

Understand the requirements to notify affected
individuals in the event of a data breach, and know the most common
means of helping them minimize the adverse effects of such a breach.

Understand the types and features of identity
theft prevention and resolution services for consumers and businesses

Be familiar with the overall standards applicable
to organizations and consumers in working together to manage the threat
of identity theft

Qualifies for Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs, CEUs) and
Professional Development Units

*Accepted for 10 CEUs for ChFC's and CLU's PACE
Program and the IARFC*Accepted for 5 PDUsfrom the American
Association of Family & Consumer Sciences*Accepted for 10 CEUs
by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education
(AFCPE.org)*Accepted for up to 20 CPEs by the International
Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) for their CIPM and CIPT
certificants. (IAPP.org)

View News Release!

How To Get Started Now

First,
enroll and receive the ICFE CITRMS®XV program materials in the comfort of your home or office. Upon the receipt of the CITRMS® XV Independent Study Guide, and the Examination, you are ready to begin the home study program and advance at your own pace. Upon completion, take the 100 question examination. Candidates who answer 80 of the 100 questions correctly (80%) receive the ICFE Certification.

What does the enrollment package cost?

The package costs $399.00**
(includes 2-day Priority Mail)**Multiple enrollment (two or more) discount
is $25 per enrolled at the same time.

Can I
Earn the CITRMS® XV Credential Online?

The
ONLINE platform for the all-new CITRMS® XV certification course provides
another convenient way for you to earn this valuable credential. The
Online Course has all the content of the hard-copy version, and the
convenience of digital learning. Instead of a printed copy of the
Independent Study Guide (ISG), the online version includes the full text
in a searchable .pdf-format ISG. Of course, printed copies of the
Textbook and Desk Reference are also available for a nominal fee. If you
prefer to receive the CITRMS® XV course materials and take the exam
online, then choose “Online Version” on this page.

What CITRMS&REG; XV Can Do To Help Small Business Owners and ConsumersAbout the credit and identity risk
assessment service for small business owners, individual
consumers and their families.Business owners, small
and large are liable for security breaches. The Federal
Trade Commission recently fined a mortgage company
$50,000 for violating national Disposal, Safeguards and
Privacy rules by leaving loan documents with sensitive
information in and around an unsecured trash bin.

Small Business Owners: As an Certified Identity Theft
Risk Management Specialist - CITRMS&REG;XV, you will have already gained the
knowledge, skills and techniques necessary to assist the small business
owner by showing them how to conduct a complete review and assessment of
their risk of becoming a liable for damages and or penalties because of
the way they handle, or perhaps mishandle their customers credit,
medical, insurance and other confidential information during the course
of their normal business operations. This assessment may also include to
the owner's personal information and extend to his or her workers, as an
employee benefit. Depending on the size of the small business and the
amount of sensitive customer information they may control, a review and
assessment of the improvement measures to employ which will result in
minimizing their risk may take from two to six hours. The hourly billing
would be consistent your current hourly rates.

Consumers: Over a billion data records of U.S. residents
have been exposed due to security breaches since 2005. Everyone is at
risk. A review of an individual consumer's personal financial,
insurance, and other confidential family information - from their credit
reports to the way they might receive their printed checks in the mail,
to also include how the information is stored and, equally important,
the manner of its disposition is the initial part of process. The
assessment is done with the client present and importantly will include
suggestions on how to make one's situation more secure and less
available to others, whether family members or criminals.

Typically, the first step is to have the client(s) empty
out their wallet or purse on the desk in front of you. What you are
looking for is incriminating items with a SS#s and other information
they may be carrying around that could harm them. The average interview
and assessment takes about an hour and a half to two hours. The
assessment also includes corrective and cautionary steps to take to
minimize the risk and guard against the crimes and also receive an
important list of things they should always do to guard against both
credit and identity theft.

You will explain how and why current practices,
disposition without first shredding, for instance, may increase their
risk of their credit and other identity information fall into the hands
of miscreants and even organized crime. Should your service include a
review of credit files, any changes and corrections and you may suggest
may be made using the ICFE's Do-It-Yourself Credit File Correction
Guide.

First,
enroll and receive the ICFE program materials in the comfort of your home
or office.

Upon the
receipt of the Independent Study Guide-XV and the XV Examination
you are ready to begin the home study program and advance at your own pace.
After reading of the Independent Study Guide take the 100 question examination.
Candidates who answer 80 of 100 questions correctly (80%), receive the ICFE
Certification.

CITRMS®
XV was written by Yan Ross, ICFE's Director of Special Projects. He
is an accredited educator, and actively practiced law for over 30
years, including 10 years in government positions and 20+ years in
private practice.

He is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School. For
over 15 years, he has addressed Identity Theft Risk Assessment and
management for consumers, organizations holding personally
identifiable information, and professionals who work with
individuals and organizations who are at risk of falling victim to
identity thieves.